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''Dead Cells'' is a 2018
roguelike Roguelike (or rogue-like) is a subgenre of role-playing computer games traditionally characterized by a dungeon crawl through procedurally generated levels, turn-based gameplay, grid-based movement, and permanent death of the player characte ...
-
Metroidvania Metroidvania is a sub-genre of platform video games focused on guided non-linearity and utility-gated exploration and progression. The term is a portmanteau of the names of the video game series '' Metroid'' and ''Castlevania'', with games in th ...
game developed and published by
Motion Twin Motion Twin is an independent studio specializing in online video games. Founded in 2001 the company is a worker cooperative enterprise based in Bordeaux, France. History With the success of ''Dead Cells'' into 2019, Motion Twin wanted to mov ...
. The game was released for
Linux Linux ( or ) is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution, which ...
,
macOS macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and lapt ...
,
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
,
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
,
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, and
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on August 7, 2018. A mobile port for
iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
was released on August 28, 2019, and an Android port was released on June 3, 2020. In the game, the player takes the role of an amorphous creature called the Prisoner. As the Prisoner, the player must fight their way out of a diseased island in order to slay the island's King. The player gains weapons, treasure and other tools through exploration of the procedurally-generated levels, using them to fight various mutated creatures. ''Dead Cells'' features a
permadeath Permadeath or permanent death is a game mechanic in both tabletop games and video games in which player characters who lose all of their health are considered dead and cannot be used anymore. Depending on the situation, this could require the p ...
system, causing the player to lose all items and other currencies upon dying. Production of ''Dead Cells'' began after Motion Twin planned development for a follow-up to their previous browser game ''
Die2Nite ''Die2Nite'' is a browser-based, multiplayer survival game created by Motion Twin Motion Twin is an independent studio specializing in online video games. Founded in 2001 the company is a worker cooperative enterprise based in Bordeaux, France ...
''. After release, Motion Twin supported the game with several updates and expansions. The game received positive reviews from critics, who praised its combat style and level design, with specific praise being directed towards the randomized levels and weapons. By March 2021, the game had sold 5 million copies.


Gameplay

''Dead Cells'' is a
2D side-scrolling '' A side-scrolling video game (alternatively side-scroller), is a game viewed from a side-view camera angle where the screen follows the player as they move left or right. The jump from single-screen or flip-screen graphics to scrolling graphic ...
"roguevania", a combination of procedurally-generated
roguelike Roguelike (or rogue-like) is a subgenre of role-playing computer games traditionally characterized by a dungeon crawl through procedurally generated levels, turn-based gameplay, grid-based movement, and permanent death of the player characte ...
games and action-exploration-based
Metroidvania Metroidvania is a sub-genre of platform video games focused on guided non-linearity and utility-gated exploration and progression. The term is a portmanteau of the names of the video game series '' Metroid'' and ''Castlevania'', with games in th ...
games. The player controls the Prisoner, an amorphous creature that can possess human corpses. The Prisoner explores a fictional island infested with mutated monsters, which must be traversed so the Prisoner can kill the island's King. When the player dies, they lose all weapons and upgrades obtained in a playthrough, excluding a few permanent items. Weapons primarily include swords, bows, shields, and placeable traps that harm enemies that come near them. In combat, the Prisoner can dodge across the ground to avoid the attacks of enemies, or jump over the attacks. Dodging into an enemy's space allows the Prisoner to move through them and attack from behind. When falling from a height, the Prisoner can slam into the ground, allowing them to stun enemies, or allow the Prisoner to fall from heights without getting stunned themselves. The game's combat is comparable to the ''
Dark Souls is a series of action role-playing games created by Hidetaka Miyazaki of FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The series began with the release of ''Dark Souls'' (2011) and has seen two sequels, ''Dark Souls II'' (2014) a ...
'' series, with difficult enemies possessing certain behaviors the player can learn, and where frequent player-character death is a fundamental part of the game. As they explore a series of dungeon
levels Level or levels may refer to: Engineering *Level (instrument), a device used to measure true horizontal or relative heights *Spirit level, an instrument designed to indicate whether a surface is horizontal or vertical *Canal pound or level *Regr ...
and fight the creatures within, the player can collect an in-game currency called Cells from defeated foes. Cells can be used to purchase permanent upgrades, such as potions that restore
hit points Health is an attribute in a video game or tabletop game that determines the maximum amount of damage or loss of stamina that a character or object can take before dying or losing consciousness. In role-playing games, this typically takes the for ...
or additional weapons that may be randomly obtained during a playthrough. These Cells can only be spent at the end of a dungeon section; if the player dies before then, they lose all collected Cells. New upgrade options can be found by locating blueprints inside dungeons, which must be taken out of the level to be collected. Levels are procedurally generated by the merging of predesigned sections in a random configuration, creating dungeons with many different placements of enemies and items. Between dungeons, the player can obtain a limited number of mutations, benefits which grant unique bonuses to the Prisoner's capabilities that last until they die. The player can reforge weapons during this time, giving the reforged weapons new effects during combat. Inside the dungeons, the player can find hidden Power Scrolls, which increase the Prisoner's hit points and increase the damage of weapons depending upon the tool's classification of Brutality, Tactics, or Survival. The player can also find multiple permanent upgrades called Runes, which allow for new methods of travel in the game's levels. Runes can be obtained by defeating powerful Elite enemies, which are located inside the game's levels. Each upgrade requires the previous Rune in order to obtain the next one.


Plot


Premise

Taking place on an unnamed island, the player character is the Prisoner, an amorphous creature capable of possessing dead bodies located in the depths of the island. While the "head" of the Prisoner is immortal, the bodies it possesses are not, and "dying" will force the Prisoner to return back to the Prisoners' Quarters to find another corpse. The Prisoner itself does not speak, limiting its interactions with
non-player character A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster o ...
s (NPCs) to gestures and body language alone. The player is occasionally shown the thoughts of the Prisoner through dialogue boxes.


Story

The Prisoner awakens in the depths of the island's prison, suffering from
amnesia Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or disease,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be caused temporarily by the use ...
. A soldier encounters the Prisoner, and mentions that they can no longer die. The Prisoner tries to escape the prison, but their head is forced back to the depths as soon as its body is destroyed. Between subsequent escape attempts, the Prisoner learns that the island was once a mighty kingdom that fell when a plague known as "The Malaise" transformed most of the kingdom's citizens into mutated monsters. After escaping the Prisoners' Quarters, the Prisoner decides to kill the island's reclusive King, believing that his death will cause something on the island to "change". While leaving the Quarters, the Prisoner meets with the Collector, a hooded figure that trades Cells in exchange for items and weaponry. After fighting through the island's Malaise-infected locales, the Prisoner reaches the King's throne room and succeeds in slaying the comatose monarch. However, the King's corpse violently explodes in the process, destroying the Prisoner's host body. The Prisoners' head crawls out from the burning fragments of the destroyed throne, where it exits the throne room through a fountain's drain. The drain leads back to the Prisoners' Quarters, where the resurrected Prisoner ponders the consequences of the King's death.


''Rise of the Giant''

The ''Rise of the Giant'' downloadable content expands the plot of ''Dead Cells'', providing the game with alternative endings. The Prisoner gains access to a new area of the island, the Cavern, which houses a titanic undead Giant. Upon his defeat, the Giant reveals that the Prisoner is actually the King himself, and blames him for the destruction of the kingdom. After defeating the final boss, the Prisoner can collect Boss Cells, in-game modifiers that are used to increase the difficulty of the game. If the player collects all five Boss Cells and reaches the throne room, they are able to gain access to an additional level called the Astrolab. At the top of the Astrolab, the Prisoner meets the Collector; he tells the Prisoner that he has been trading for Cells in order to create the
Panacea In Greek mythology, Panacea (Greek ''Πανάκεια'', Panakeia), a goddess of universal remedy, was the daughter of Asclepius and Epione. Panacea and her four sisters each performed a facet of Apollo's art: * Panacea (the goddess of universal ...
, the ultimate cure for the Malaise. Upon producing the Panacea and drinking it, the Collector goes mad and attacks the Prisoner. The Prisoner manages to ingest some of the Panacea before the Collector's defeat, which causes their host body to disappear. Disappointed with the Panacea, the head returns to the Quarters to possess another corpse. When the Prisoner reaches the throne room again, they discover that the King's body has reappeared undamaged. The head of the Prisoner abandons its host body and attaches to the King's, restoring the Prisoner's memories and allowing him to speak. However, the King's body is infected with the Malaise, and he continues to the Astrolab to face the Collector. This time, upon the Collector's defeat, the Panacea cures the King and "binds his body and soul". The King returns to his throne, where he is confronted by a
look-alike A look-alike, double, or doppelgänger is a person who bears a strong physical resemblance to another person, excluding cases like twins and other instances of family resemblance. Some look-alikes have been notable individuals in their own right, ...
of the Prisoner intent on slaying him. The King and the look-alike battle each other in a duel.


''The Queen and the Sea''

''The Queen and the Sea'' downloadable content adds three additional levels to the game, as well as an alternative ending. The Prisoner finds a letter inviting them to a meeting in the sewers beneath the prison. When the Prisoner arrives, they meet an aquatic creature called the Fisherman, who offers them a way to escape the island through the kingdom's lighthouse. After the Prisoner finds the Lighthouse Key and meets the Fisherman again at the King's castle, the latter uses his boat to take the Prisoner to the lighthouse. Inside, the Prisoner accidentally knocks over a flaming
chandelier A chandelier (; also known as girandole, candelabra lamp, or least commonly suspended lights) is a branched ornamental light fixture designed to be mounted on ceilings or walls. Chandeliers are often ornate, and normally use incandescent li ...
, alerting three hostile warriors named Calliope, Euterpe, and Kleio. The three chase the Prisoner to the top of the now-burning lighthouse, where the Prisoner defeats them in combat. The Prisoner enters the upper chambers of the lighthouse to light its beacon, but the island's Queen reveals herself and challenges them to a duel. The Prisoner defeats the Queen before throwing her off the lighthouse's balcony, causing a catastrophic explosion that activates the structure's beacon. The Prisoner uses the beacon to attract a ship passing by the island.


Development

''Dead Cells'' developer
Motion Twin Motion Twin is an independent studio specializing in online video games. Founded in 2001 the company is a worker cooperative enterprise based in Bordeaux, France. History With the success of ''Dead Cells'' into 2019, Motion Twin wanted to mov ...
had been developing games for the browser and
mobile gaming A mobile game, or smartphone game, is a video game that is typically played on a mobile phone. The term also refers to all games that are played on any portable device, including from mobile phone (feature phone or smartphone), tablet, PDA to h ...
market since 2001. The studio found that competition in the mobile market required more investment to make profitable games, and decided to switch focus to develop what they considered their "passion project", a game that was "something hardcore, ultra-niche, with pixel art and ridiculous difficulty" that they thought would be a potential risk for gaining player interest. Initially, Motion Twin had set out to make a follow-up to their browser game ''
Die2Nite ''Die2Nite'' is a browser-based, multiplayer survival game created by Motion Twin Motion Twin is an independent studio specializing in online video games. Founded in 2001 the company is a worker cooperative enterprise based in Bordeaux, France ...
'', which was a cooperative
tower defense Tower defense (TD) is a subgenre of strategy games where the goal is to defend a player's territories or possessions by obstructing the enemy attackers or by stopping enemies from reaching the exits, usually achieved by placing defensive struc ...
game for up to forty players released in 2008; for most of the game, players would work together to form defenses around a town, and then during the game's night phase, wait to see if the town survived waves of attacks by zombies. Motion Twin wanted to have improve the sequel by allowing players to take actions and fight during the night phase, while implementing
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mechanics. While this version worked well with large number of players, Motion Twin found it was not very exciting for single players. In 2014, they stripped down the game to a single-player experience between preparation and combat, and took it to an event called the Big Indie Pitch, where the idea came in second place in a contest. Motion Twin decided to remove the preparation phase and focus the game around constant action. The process of figuring out how to keep and work with combat elements took a year up through the end of 2015. To tighten the gameplay, Motion Twin took inspiration of the Engineer
character class In tabletop games and video games, a character class is a job or profession commonly used to differentiate the abilities of different game characters. In role-playing games (RPGs), character classes aggregate several abilities and aptitudes, ...
from ''
Team Fortress 2 ''Team Fortress 2'' is a 2007 multiplayer first-person shooter, first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve Corporation. It is the sequel to the 1996 ''Team Fortress'' Mod (video gaming), mod for ''Quake (video game), Quake'' and ...
'', where the use of turrets and other buildable items helps to strengthen the character's abilities, and remade ''Dead Cells'' into an action
platform game A platform game (often simplified as platformer and sometimes called a jump 'n' run game) is a sub-genre of action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are charac ...
where the player used weapons along with a variety of skills (including some elements they had developed for the tower defense approach). They did not want players to get used to having a single weapon/skill combination that they used indefinitely, and arranged the roguelike elements to require the player to try out new combinations of weapons and skills as they progressed. Motion Twin's producer Steve Filby cited ''The Binding of Isaac'' as a significant influence, highlighting its player-determined and item-driven gameplay. To give the player enough options, the developers crafted about 50 different weapons, avoiding having too much duplication in how each weapon worked so that there would be unique gameplay possibilities with each. The team used an iterative process in gameplay, graphics, and art so that each of these weapons exhibited unique animations or behavior. Motion Twin opted to use
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's
early access Early access, also known as alpha access, alpha founding, paid alpha, or game preview, is a funding model in the video game industry by which consumers can purchase and play a game in the various pre-release development cycles, such as pre-alph ...
approach to both gauge player interest and to obtain feedback on game features and the balance from procedural generation. The team feared the stigma around
indie game An indie game, short for independent video game, is a video game typically created by individuals or smaller development teams without the financial and technical support of a large game publisher, in contrast to most "AAA" (triple-A) games. ...
s at the time, fueled by industry speculation of an "indiepocalypse" where too many indie games would have caused a collapse of the video game market around 2015, an event which never occurred. Motion Twin did not want to release too early within early access, and made sure the first version available, while only about 30 to 40% complete, had tight combat and gameplay controls that players would appreciate. This allowed the team to address balance issues, as the developers did not want to punish players for a specific style of play, and used feedback to address this. This allowed them to design short combat encounters, and assure that maneuvering within the game's levels itself was not a challenge to the player. Motion Twin planned for the game to spend about a year in early access before its full release, during which time the content was created and incorporated after player feedback on both bug reports and feature suggestions. Lead designer Sébastien Bénard estimated that 40 to 50% of the features in the final game were drawn from feedback during early access. The plot of ''Dead Cells'' was not intended from the beginning. Motion Twin felt that the addition of a story would take away from the action, and wanted to include the most basic narrative possible. As the game progressed through early access, the developers decided to include a minor story after players found their world compelling. Over time, the plot was compiled into a half-French half-English document, and became more and more complex. Although the levels have a number of hints towards the story, Motion Twin withheld some of the details and utilized the nonlinear gameplay to keep the narrative vague, hoping players would piece together the story for themselves.


Release

The early access period was launched on May 10, 2017, with support for
Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
, and released
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and
Linux Linux ( or ) is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution, which ...
versions in early access on June 26, 2018. In November 2017, the game was released on
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as part of their drive to provide an alternate way to purchase games that are in development. In January 2018, Motion Twin announced their plans on console development for the
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
,
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
, and
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, with a release predicted in August 2018 to correspond with the Windows' version leaving early access. Motion Twin does not anticipate creating a sequel, and instead focused on adding a robust modding system for the PC versions to allow players to expand the game following release. ''Dead Cells'' was released on August 7, 2018, for PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. Retail editions were released in August 2018. The base game included
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integration at launch, allowing viewers, via the stream's chat, to influence the game, such as voting for which Power Scroll weapon class option the player should take. Motion Twin released a free
downloadable content Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...
update to the game called ''Dead Cells: Rise of the Giant'' in mid-2019. The developers announced plans to port ''Dead Cells'' to mobile devices running
iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
and Android, modifying the game's interface to support touch controls as well as remote controllers. The iOS version was released on August 28, 2019, and the Android version was released on June 3, 2020. The game's first paid expansion, ''Dead Cells: The Bad Seed'', was released on February 11, 2020, adding two new biomes, as well as a boss for early game content. The new content included weapons, enemies and game mechanics. On the same day, a new physical
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of the game, the ''Prisoner's Edition'', was announced for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, which in addition to the game and DLC, includes the soundtrack, an art book, and a figurine of the player-character. A second paid DLC expansion, ''Dead Cells: Fatal Falls'', was released on January 26, 2021, which added new levels, weapons, and a boss. Around January 2019, Motion Twin started work on their next title while still developing ''Dead Cells''. When they expanded by hiring more developers, Motion Twin wanted to keep the ''Dead Cells'' development team to between eight and ten people in order to stay a manageable
worker cooperative A worker cooperative is a cooperative owned and Workers' self-management, self-managed by its workers. This control may mean a firm where every worker-owner participates in decision-making in a democratic fashion, or it may refer to one in which ...
. The team then spun-off a new studio called Evil Empire to help co-develop the game. Motion Twin released a free update on September 16, 2021, titled "Practice Makes Perfect" which added a training room, world map and many other quality of life changes. A free ''Everyone Is Here'' update released on November 22, 2021, which introduced character skins and mechanics based on characters from other indie games as "guest characters". These games included ''
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'', ''
Guacamelee! ''Guacamelee!'' is a Metroidvania action platforming video game developed and published by DrinkBox Studios, initially launched in April 2013 for platforms PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita and was later ported to Microsoft Windows in August a ...
'', '' Curse of the Dead Gods'', ''
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'', '' Skul: The Hero Slayer'', and ''
Hollow Knight ''Hollow Knight'' is a 2017 Metroidvania video game developed and published by independent developer Team Cherry. In the game, the player controls the Knight, a nameless insectoid warrior, who explores Hallownest, a fallen kingdom plagued by a ...
''. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Motion Twin, the developers revealed the third paid expansion titled ''Dead Cells: The Queen and the Sea'', which released on January 7, 2022. Another free content update, ''Break the Bank'', released in March 2022. The update added a new level that can be randomly encountered while playing, which grants the player an opportunity to earn significant sums of gold. On October 26, 2022, Motion Twin released a free
boss rush In video games, a boss is a significant computer-controlled opponent. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight. Bosses are generally far stronger than other opponents the player has faced up to that ...
update, which allows the Prisoner to fight the bosses of the game one after another in a new
game mode In tabletop games and video games, game mechanics are the rules or ludemes that govern and guide the player's actions, as well as the game's response to them. A rule is an instruction on how to play, a ludeme is an element of play like the L-shap ...
. A free ''Everyone is Here Vol. 2'' update in November 2022 added more homages to other indie games, including ''
Terraria ''Terraria'' is an action-adventure sandbox game developed by Re-Logic. The game was first released for Windows on May 16, 2011, and has since been ported to several other platforms. The game features exploration, crafting, building, painting, ...
'', ''
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'', ''
Shovel Knight ''Shovel Knight'' is a platform game, platform video game developed and published by Yacht Club Games. Development was crowdfunded and the game was released for Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, and Windows in June 2014. It was ported to OS X and Linux in Se ...
'', ''
Risk of Rain ''Risk of Rain'' is a 2013 platform game developed by Hopoo Games and published by Chucklefish. The game, initially made by a two-student team from the University of Washington using the GameMaker engine, was funded through Kickstarter before ...
'', and ''
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''. A fourth paid expansion, ''Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania'', was released on March 6, 2023. It features characters, weapons, and enemies from the ''
Castlevania ''Castlevania'' (), known in Japan as is a gothic horror action-adventure video game series and media franchise about Dracula (Castlevania), Dracula, created and developed by Konami. It has been released on various platforms, from early system ...
'' series, under license from
Konami , is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company, video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machin ...
. This expansion includes a secret level inspired by '' Castlevania: Symphony of the Night'' and allows the player to play as Richter Belmont with a move set more akin to the ''Castlevania'' series.


Reception


Critical reception

''Dead Cells'' received positive reviews from critics. The Xbox One version received "universal acclaim", and the PlayStation 4, PC, Nintendo Switch, and iOS versions received "generally favorable" reviews according to
review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website ''
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
''. Brandin Tyrrel of ''
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' praised the game for its engaging gameplay premise, and randomized layout declaring "The placement and order of its levels are ''Dead Cells'' skeletal frame, but the ever-changing layouts and enemy and item placements are the blood that pumps through its heart." The action and combat of ''Dead Cells'' received acclaim as "distinct", "fluid", and "agile". Reviewers compared the game to the ''
Dark Souls is a series of action role-playing games created by Hidetaka Miyazaki of FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The series began with the release of ''Dark Souls'' (2011) and has seen two sequels, ''Dark Souls II'' (2014) a ...
'', '' Diablo'', and ''
Castlevania ''Castlevania'' (), known in Japan as is a gothic horror action-adventure video game series and media franchise about Dracula (Castlevania), Dracula, created and developed by Konami. It has been released on various platforms, from early system ...
'' series due to its difficulty and constantly changing levels, while giving specific praise to the visuals and sound design. The plot of ''Dead Cells'' was criticized, with critics calling it lacking and vague. Kirk Hamilton of ''
Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. History ...
'' found the story disappointing, stating "Aside from some sparse
worldbuilding Worldbuilding is the process of constructing a world, originally an imaginary one, sometimes associated with a fictional universe. Developing an imaginary setting with coherent qualities such as a history, geography, and ecology is a key task fo ...
, the only story here is the story of moving forward, killing things, and gradually getting better at it". Some commentators considered progression beyond the first few hours as "nebulous", and the game's difficulty "callous". Chris Carter of ''Destructoid'' noted the game's difficulty, stating "There's those moments where you have a perfect run with all of the items you prefer. Then you get to a boss you've never seen before and bam – he smashes you to a pulp." Other critics drew attention to the permadeath feature as a rewarding system, as it provided the player with permanent upgrades, the opportunity to experience all of the game's content, and gain full knowledge of its systems. Neal Ronaghan of ''Nintendo World Report'' enjoyed the permadeath feature, saying "Every run is engrossing and fun and when I die, the only thought rushing through my brain is to start over and try again, pushing as far past my previous run as I can."


Sales

About a year from its early access release, ''Dead Cells'' sold over 730,000 units, and exceeded 850,000 units just prior to its full release. By May 2019, within ten months of its full release, ''Dead Cells'' had accumulated sales of two million units. In March 2021, ''Dead Cells'' had sold 5 million copies during the announcement of their last DLC.


Awards and accolades


Notes


References


External links

* {{good article 2018 video games Android (operating system) games Early access video games The Game Awards winners Indie games IOS games Linux games MacOS games Metroidvania games Nintendo Switch games Playdigious games PlayStation 4 games Roguelike video games Single-player video games Soulslike video games Video games about viral outbreaks Video games about zombies Video games developed in France Video games set on fictional islands Windows games Xbox Cloud Gaming games Xbox One games Motion Twin games